142 APPENDIX. 



" The chase of the bear, who is never killed 

 before January or February, when they are in the 

 best condition, sets the courage and cool delibera- 

 tion of the Finmarker in a most conspicuous point 

 of view. In October, the Finmarker carefully 

 watches the haunts of the bear, who, at that time, 

 seeks for a winter retreat ; and having marked it, 

 returns in January to the attack. Having prepar- 

 ed a lance, to which a cross-bar is affixed, about 

 one foot from the point, the Finmarker, when the 

 wind is in a favourable direction, makes a large fire 

 before the bears den ; the smoke soon irritating 

 the animals, they rush out, one by one : at 

 this critical moment the Finmarker, concealing 

 his lance, places himself behind the fire, and the 

 bear, rearing on his hind legs, in order to seize 

 him, he plunges his lance up to the cross-bar 

 in his breast.* The rest are served in the same 

 manner. 



" The rein deer are here extremely plenty, and 

 very dear ; we paid L.2 for one of them. Certainly 

 they had heard something of the wealth of John 

 Bull. 



* The intrepidity of the Finmarker, and the dangers he has to 

 encounter in the chase of the seal, are well described in Acerbi's 

 excellent Travels in the North, vol. i. p. 291. 



